So, you want to be a FamiLAB Member? Awesome! We love adding new people to our community.

Membership Process

Where do I start?

  • Visit us at our Open House on the second Tuesday of every month to tour the facilities, or come to any of our public events on our calendar

  • Fill out the new member application

  • Join us on Slack - It is our official communication platform and the best way to get a hold of someone.

  • Attend the next member meeting, on the third Tuesday of every month, to formally introduce yourself to the membership. This allows us to get to know you, and you to get to know us. Meetings happen both in person and via Google Meet. (We know that Tuesdays are not great for everyone. If Tuesday nights are difficult for you, contact us and we'll try to set up an alternate time for a one-on-one tour.

After Introduction

  • You will get your provisional badge (This allows you to be in the space as long as a full member is present)

  • Visit the lab! If you’re not sure if there will be anyone at the space, ask when someone will be there in the #general-meta channel in Slack

  • Chat and get to know other members so we can get to know you!

What can/should I do with my provisional badge?

  • Your provisional badge indicates to other members that you are a prospective member looking to join the community. It does not yet grant you door access to the space.

  • Provisional members are allowed the use of the space, provided that there is a full member on the premises.

  • Some equipment does require additional training. If you are not sure, please ask in the appropriate Slack channel

What happens next?

  • After your 1-month provisional period, attend the subsequent member meeting to be formally introduced as a new member.

  • Set up your recurring payments of dues.

  • Once your dues are set up, your provisional badge will be activated for the door giving you 24/7 access to FamiLAB. After that, send a photo of yourself to badges@familab.org and we'll print a custom badge for you.

Membership Levels and Dues

 Do not start paying dues until you have been confirmed at a monthly meeting.

  • Maker: Dues are $75/month. Membership includes voting rights and 24x7 access to the lab

  • Maker Plus: Dues are $100/month. Membership is extended to one additional adult

  • Booster: Dues are $125/month. For those that are able and want to be extra awesome.

  • We strive to keep FamiLAB open to as many people as possible. If you contact us at Board@FamiLAB.org, we’ll do our best to work something out with you.

  • We have 3D printers, laser cutters, a vinyl cutter, metal mill, metal lathe, assorted tools for metalworking, CNC wood router, wood lathe, assorted hand tools for woodworking, welders, plasma cutter, electronics tools like soldering irons and oscilloscopes, leather working tools, and more!

  • Yes. We may not require you to go through a full class, but you will at least need to be checked out by another member to ensure you know how to use the tools safely. If you aren’t sure if a tool requires full training, simply reach out on Slack and ask!

  • Members must be 18 or older. If you’re under 18 and want to join, your parent/guardian must go through the membership process. Once they complete the membership process, you can come with them whenever they are. You cannot be left alone and must leave the space if they do. We may also restrict which tools you are allowed to use.

  • We do not allow the space or tools to be used for commercial purposes. If you’re creating a new product and are working through the creation process, we welcome that. But we do not allow the space to be used for larger production quantities that you might sell.

  • Currently, we try not to offer short-term memberships. We’d like our members to enjoy the space long-term. The onboarding process is manual and requires time from our volunteers so we try to respect that. But we’d be willing to try and work something out. Reach out to us at Board@FamiLAB.org and we’ll see what we can come up with.

  • Yes! We welcome any non-members to come to public events. Check our Calendar page to see what upcoming events we have! You can also join our Slack or tag along with a friend for a group project. We just ask that if you find yourself at the space often, that you consider joining or donating :)

  • Bring it to the attention of the board - you can email us at board@familab.org or use our form and we'll do our best to help resolve the concern. If you email us or leave your contact information in the form, we'll get back to you about a resolution.

  • Our membership is processed through a PayPal subscription. To cancel, log into your PayPal account and cancel the subscription. If you’re having difficulting finding it, email us at Treasurer@FamiLAB.org and we can cancel your membership for you. If there’s something we can do to encourage you to stay, please let us know!

 FAQs